The present invention relates to facial imaging generally and more particularly to facial imaging in utero.
Various techniques are known for facial imaging in utero using ultrasonic technology. The quality and completeness of such images is generally rather non-uniform and depends inter alia on the position of the face of a fetus relative to ultra-sound imaging apparatus. Conventional systems which provide facial imaging in utero are known inter alia from the following publications:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,591;
InViVo-ScanNT of the Fraunhofer Institut fuer Graphische Datenverarbeitung IGD in Darmstadt, Germany, commercially available;
3-D Ultrasoundxe2x80x94Acquisition Methods Details, of Life Imaging Systems, Inc. of London, Ontario
UCSD radiologists are working on a new ultrasound technology that""s guaranteed to produce much clearer images in three dimensions. by Kate Deely, UCSD Perspectives, Spring 1999;
Product literature relating to the following products:
Imaging software available from A1 Alpha Space, Inc, of Laguna Hills, Calif., U.S.A. and from Echotech 3-D of Hallbergmoos, Germany;
HDI1500 commercially available from ATLxe2x80x94Advanced Technology Laboratories, Bothell, Wash., U.S.A.;
Voluson 530D commercially available from Kretztechnik AG of Zipf, Austria and from Medison America of Pleasanton, Calif., U.S.A. This ultrasound system includes a scalpel feature which enables manual removal of occlusions blocking full visualization of a fetal face.
L3-Di commercially available from Life Imaging Systems Inc. of London, Ontario, Canada;
Echo-Scan, Echo-View and Compact3-D commercially available from TomTec Imaging Systems GmbH of Unterschleissheim, Germany;
NetralVUS, commercially available from ScImage, Inc. of Los Altos, Calif. 94022, U.S.A.;
3-Scape commercially available from Siemens AG of Erlangen, Germany;
Vitrea, commercially available from Vital Images, Inc of Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A.;
VoxarLib, commercially available from Voxar Ltd. of Edinburgh, UK;
LOGIC 700 MR commercially available from GE Ultrasound.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved system for fetal face imaging in utero.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a system for providing an image of at least a portion of a fetus in utero including an imager providing image data for a volume including at least a portion of a fetus in utero, an at least partially computer controlled image processing algorithm based segmenter for defining geometrical boundaries of various objects in the volume including at least a portion of a fetus in utero, and a sculpting tool, utilizing the geometrical boundaries of at least some of the various objects defined by the segmenter, for selectably removing at least portions of the objects in order to provide a desired non-occluded image of at least a portion of the fetus in utero, based on the image data.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the imager is an ultrasound imager.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the image data contains speckles.
Preferably the segmenter is fully automatic. Alternatively the segmenter is semi-automatic.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter operates substantially in real time.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter defines geometrical boundaries in at least one slice of the volume by employing previously acquired information relating to at least another slice of the volume.
Preferably the segmenter operates in a slice-by-slice manner.
There is also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for providing an image of at least a portion of a fetus in utero, the method including providing image data for a volume including at least a portion of a fetus in utero, utilizing an at least partially computer controlled image processing algorithm based segmenter to define geometrical boundaries of various objects in the volume including at least a portion of a fetus in utero, and utilizing the geometrical boundaries of at least some of said various objects defined by the segmenter to selectably remove image data relating to at least portions of the objects in order to provide a desired non-occluded image of at least a portion of the fetus in utero, based on the image data.
Further in accordance with a preferred embedment of the present invention the method employs ultrasound.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image data contains speckles.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter operates fully automatically. Alternatively the segmenter operates semi-automatically.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter operates substantially in real time.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter defines geometrical boundaries in at least one slice of the volume by employing previously acquired information relating to at least another slice of the volume.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the segmenter operates in a slice-by-slice manner.